The 1986-87 NBA season was the Bucks' 19th season in the NBA.[1] For the first time since 1978-79, the Bucks did not win their division.
During the season, coach and general manager Don Nelson started to experience a rift in friendship with Bucks owner Herb Kohl due to personal disagreements with Kohl on how to run the team. During Game 4 of the 1987 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Bucks and the Boston Celtics, Nelson controversially announced to the local and national sports media that he did not expect to return to the Bucks after the season was over due to said rift with Kohl. Nelson would in fact resign after the Bucks lost the series to Boston in seven games, coming back from being down 3–1 in the series only to lose the seventh and deciding game in Boston Garden.[2] After 11 seasons coaching and managing the Bucks, Nelson took the year off only to return in the 1988–89 season as coach and manager of the Golden State Warriors. The Bucks hired Nelson's assistant coach, Del Harris, to take over the team for the 1987–88 season.
Draft picks
Roster
1986–87 Milwaukee Bucks roster
Players
|
Coaches
|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|
Regular season
Season standings
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1986-87 NBA Records
|
Team
|
ATL
|
BOS
|
CHI
|
CLE
|
DAL
|
DEN
|
DET
|
GSW
|
HOU
|
IND
|
LAC
|
LAL
|
MIL
|
NJN
|
NYK
|
PHI
|
PHO
|
POR
|
SAC
|
SAS
|
SEA
|
UTA
|
WAS
|
Atlanta
|
— |
3–3 |
4–2 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
5–0 |
5–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
5–0
|
Boston
|
3–3 |
— |
6–0 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
4–2 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–2
|
Chicago
|
2–4 |
0–6 |
— |
5–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
4–2 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
3–3
|
Cleveland
|
2–4 |
2–3 |
1–5 |
— |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
4–2 |
4–1 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–4
|
Dallas
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
— |
4–2 |
1–1 |
5–0 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
5–0 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
5–0 |
3–3 |
1–1
|
Denver
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
— |
0–2 |
4–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
0–5 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
2–3 |
2–4 |
1–1
|
Detroit
|
3–3 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
— |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
5–1 |
6–0 |
5–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3
|
Golden State
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–5 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
— |
4–1 |
0–2 |
6–0 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
4–2 |
4–1 |
4–1 |
4–2 |
2–3 |
0–2
|
Houston
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
— |
2–0 |
4–1 |
1–4 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
5–1 |
1–4 |
3–3 |
1–1
|
Indiana
|
3–3 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
— |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
4–2
|
L.A. Clippers
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–5 |
3–2 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
1–4 |
0–2 |
— |
0–6 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
0–6 |
1–4 |
1–4 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
0–2
|
L.A. Lakers
|
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–3 |
5–0 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
6–0 |
— |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
5–1 |
5–0 |
4–1 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
1–1
|
Milwaukee
|
3–3 |
3–3 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
— |
4–2 |
4–2 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–1
|
New Jersey
|
0–5 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
— |
5–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–4
|
New York
|
1–5 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
1–4 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
1–5 |
— |
3–3 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–4
|
Philadelphia
|
3–3 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
0–5 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
— |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3
|
Phoenix
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
— |
2–4 |
2–3 |
2–3 |
1–5 |
4–1 |
0–2
|
Portland
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
6–0 |
1–5 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
4–2 |
— |
3–2 |
4–1 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
1–1
|
Sacramento
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
4–1 |
0–5 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
— |
3–3 |
2–3 |
1–5 |
1–1
|
San Antonio
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
4–1 |
1–4 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
1–4 |
3–3 |
— |
1–4 |
2–4 |
0–2
|
Seattle
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–5 |
3–2 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
4–1 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
5–1 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
4–1 |
— |
3–2 |
1–1
|
Utah
|
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
2–3 |
— |
1–1
|
Washington
|
0–5 |
2–4 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
4–2 |
4–2 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
—
|
Game log
1986–87 game log Total: 50–32 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
|
October: 1–0 (home: 0–0; road: 1–0)
|
November: 1–0 (home: 1–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
2 |
November 1, 1986 |
Boston
|
W 111–105
|
|
|
|
MECCA Arena
|
2–0
|
|
December: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
January: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
February: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
March: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
April: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
1986–87 schedule
|
Playoffs
1987 playoff game log
|
First Round: 3–2 (home: 2–1; road: 1–1)
|
Conference semifinals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
|
1987 schedule
|
Player statistics
Source:[3]
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
Transactions
Trades
References
See also
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1960s | |
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1970s | |
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1980s | |
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1990s | |
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2000s | |
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2010s | |
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2020s | |
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Franchise | |
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Arenas | |
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Personnel | |
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G League affiliate | |
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Retired numbers | |
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NBA championships | |
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NBA Cup championships | |
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Culture and lore | |
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